2 Chronicles 5:1-6:16

World English Bible

5 Thus all the work that Solomon did for Yahweh’s house was finished. Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver, the gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of God’s house.

² Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Yahweh’s covenant out of David’s city, which is Zion. ³ So all the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month. ⁴ All the elders of Israel came. The Levites took up the ark; ⁵ and they brought up the ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these the Levitical priests brought up. ⁶ King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. ⁷ The priests brought in the ark of Yahweh’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. ⁸ For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above. ⁹ The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the ark in front of the inner sanctuary; but they were not seen outside; and it is there to this day. ¹⁰ There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

¹¹ When the priests had come out of the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, and didn’t keep their divisions; ¹² also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brothers, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred twenty priests sounding with trumpets); ¹³ when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Yahweh; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Yahweh, saying,

then the house was filled with a cloud, even Yahweh’s house, ¹⁴ so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for Yahweh’s glory filled God’s house.

6 Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. ² But I have built you a house and home, a place for you to dwell in forever.”

³ The king turned his face, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the assembly of Israel stood.

⁴ He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David my father, and has with his hands fulfilled it, saying, ⁵ ‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there and I chose no man to be prince over my people Israel; ⁶ but now I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’ ⁷ Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. ⁸ But Yahweh said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart; ⁹ nevertheless you shall not build the house; but your son who will come out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.’

¹⁰ “Yahweh has performed his word that he spoke; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. ¹¹ There I have set the ark, in which is Yahweh’s covenant, which he made with the children of Israel.”

¹² He stood before Yahweh’s altar in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands ¹³ (for Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits^[a] long, and five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the middle of the court; and he stood on it, and knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven) ¹⁴ and he said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth; you who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants who walk before you with all their heart; ¹⁵ who have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is today.

¹⁶ “Now therefore, Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’